Safety-gate.



'No. 826,924. PATENTED JULY 24, 1906. A. EAGLE,

SAFETY GATE. APPLICATION rmm mm: a, 1904.

2 BHEETS-BHEET 1 THE NORRIS PETE-RS co., WASHINGTON, o. c,

PATENTED JULY 24, 1906.

A. EAGLE.

. SAFETY GATE. 'APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 8. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IINITED STATES ALBURTIS EAGLE, OF NEWTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. SAFETY-GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1906.

Application filed June 8, 1904:. Serial No. 211,636.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBURTIs EAGLE, a citizen of the United Newtown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Safety- Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of gates or barriers which may be controlled bya pass ing or approaching vehicle, engine, car, or train.

My invention consists of a gate or barrier of this character for railroad-crossings being set in place by suitable mechanism operated by an approaching train from either direction and withdrawn or disposed clear of the crossing by other mechanism operated by the train as it leaves the particular crossing.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient form of gate or barrier that may be rolled or folded when not in use and to provide simple operating mechanism controlling such movement, which may be readily actuated by the passing train.

ther object of my invention is to provide a gate or barrier with flexible members which while serving as a visual signal and in some instances a positive obstruction to prevent teams crossing the track will be of such a character as to render no injury to an animal should it be accidentally driven against the same, a condition that might readily ocour on double-track roads when a train is passing on the track farthest from an approaching team.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a front elevation of one form of gate and operating mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one end of the same. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of anotherform of gate embodying my invention, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating a detail of my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents the vertical posts, and 2 the cross-beam, of a framework of suitable strength and dimensions, which may be mounted crossings on one or both sides of the track. This frame carries a shaft 3, journaled in suitable bearings 4, carried by the cross-beam 2, and this shaft carries a series of drums 5, which turn therewith, upon which drums are wound weighted bands or tapes 6. In the view herewith these bands are shown in the lowered position, serving as a signal or bar- States, and a resident of at railway rier to prevent persons and teams from crossing the track. On the outer end ofthe shaft 3 a drum 7 is mounted, to which is connected a cord 8, the opposite end of which is attached to the end of the arm 9 of a bell-crank'lever. This lever is pivoted at 10 and carries on its accidental displacement or removal of such weight during the operation of the structure. The weight is suspended from a bar 15, which carries a pulley 16, adapted to travel on the arm 11, and this bar is connected by a link 17 to the arm 18 of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 19. The other arm 20 of this latter bellcrank lever is connected, by means of a link 21, with the arm 22 of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 23 to the lower part of the frame 1, the other arm 24 of which latter bell-crank lever is connected to a cord or wire 25, which extends to any suitable form of resetting or self-setting trip mechanism (which, however, forms no part of my invention) to be actuated by the approaching or passing engine, train, car, or other vehicle. It will be seen, therefore, that if thepassing train actuates the trip mechanism connected to the wire or cord 25 and pulls it in the direction of the arrow 00 the lower bell-crank lever will raise the intermediate bell-crank medium of the link 21, thereby permitting the weight to ride down the arm 11 of the upper bell-crank lever, the latter lowering and causing its arm 9 to unwind the cord 8 on the drum 7. This unwinding of the cord will cause the rotation of the shaft 3 and the rewinding of the weighted tapes or bands, thus raising them from the lowered active position in which they had been placed by the approaching train.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a form of foldin gate which comprises two sections 26 an 26, mounted on either side of the frame supporting the same. The rails 27 I and 27*, forming these sections, may close together in the same manner as lazy-ton s, and for this purpose they are provided wit cross-bars 28 and 28 which are pivoted at 29 and 29" to the individual rails or members of the gate. The individual rails or members are also pivoted at 30 and 30 to depending members 31 and 31 which-are hinged at 32 and 32 to the cross-bar 2 of the frame, whereby said gate-sections are free to swing back and forth in addition to the movement to close the same together to raise them. To efiect this lever through the v mechanism similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is employed,

that while in that form of structure a drum pull the cords 33 and shown in Fig. 1.

'sition, at the and cord were provided to raise the bands in the present form cords 33 and 33 are at- I tached at 34 and 34 to the bars 28 and 28 and pass over the pulley 7 to the arm 9 of the upper bell-crank lever.

When the trip mechanism is actuated by the train, the system of bell-crank levers will be operated, as before described, and the I movement of the arm 9 of the upper one will 53 and raise the gatesections 26 and 26 folding the same together against the cross-beam 2.

p In Fig. 4 I have shown a special form of depending member which combines in itself a rigid or-flexible structure. It comprises a series of plates 35, which are hinged together at 36 and arepivotally hung at 37 from a hin e 38, which is secured to the cross-beam 20 the frame. These sections 35 are provided on one side with guides 40, and adapted to enter these guides is a jointed rod 41, to

which is attached a cord 42, whereby it may be raised as desired. When in the lowered position, the joints of this rod are opposite the joints of the several plates-or sections 35, so that the structure is entirely flexible, and when it is desired to raise the same it can be wound upon a suitable drum in the manner set forth with reference to the structure In this position also it 1 serves as a flexible structure not liable to injury by accidental contact with an animal driven on the track by mistake. When it is desired to form this bar into a stiff member, however, in order that it may be raised sid'ewise or folded, as desired, in the manner described with reference to the structure shown in Fig. 3, the cord 42, attached to the jointed rod 41, is pulled, which causes the joints of said rod to enter the guides on the side of said sections, thereby locking the several jointed plates or sections 35 together and preventing flexion of the bar when raised. A bar constructed in accordance with this idea forms in itself a stiff or flexible member, as desired.

By means of suitable trip mechanism to operate the system of levers carried by the frame the gate or barrier will be placed in the active or-operative osition on the approach of the train from eit er direction, and as said train passes. it will engage other tripping mechanism, which will raise the gate or barrier and place the same in the inoperative posame time resetting the trip mechanism, so that itcan be operated bya train or other vehicle approaching from either side.

Having thus claim and desire to secure cutdescribed my invention,l by Letters Pat- 'posite positions after it 1. The combination in a gate or barrier to the movable element and the first-named bell-crank lever, mechanism actuated by the moving train for operating the first-named bell-crank lever, and means for holding said latter lever in its opposite positions.

3. The combination in-a gate or barrier to be operatedby a movingtrain, element, a bell-crank lever, a second lever affording a connection between the movable element and the bell-crank lever, mechanism actuated by the moving train for operating said bell-crank lever in both directions, and a sliding weight for holding said bellcrank lever in its opposite positions.

4:. The combination in a gate or barrier to be operated by a moving train, of a series of movable elements, a lever, a flexible connection and a second lever disposed between said elements and the first lever, a sheave or pulley over which said connection passes, mechanism actuated by the passing train for operating said first lever in both directions, and a sliding weight for holding said lever in its oph'as been moved to of amovable such positions by the mechanism operated by the passing train.

5. The combination in a gate or barrier to be operated by a moving train, of a series of movable elements, a shaft, drums carried by said shaft to which the movable elements are connected, a bell-crank lever, a connection between said shaft and the bell crank lever, a sheave or pulley carried by said shaft over which said connection passes, mechanism actuated by the passingtrain for operating said bell-cr ank lever in both directions, and means for holding said bell-crank lever in its opposite positions after it has been moved to such positions by the passing train.

6. The combination in a gate or barrier to be operated by a moving train, of a series of flexible and movable elements, a shaft to which said elements are connected, a lever, a connection between said elements and the le- 'ver, a sheave or pulley over which said c-onwhich said elements are connected, a lever,

a be operated by a moving train, of a series of connection between said elements and the lemovable elements, a shaft to which said elever, a sheave or pulley over which said connection passes mounted on the shaft, means for moving said lever to effect the turning of the shaft to raise and lower the flexible and movable elements, and a sliding weight for holding said lever in its opposite positions.

8. The combination in a gate or barrier to be operated by a moving train, of a series of flexible and movable elements,- a shaft to which said elements are connected, a bellcrank lever, a connection between said elements and the bell-crank lever, a sheave or pulley over which said connection passes mounted on the shaft, means for moving said bell-crank lever to effect the turning of the shaft to raise and lower the flexible and movable elements, and means for holding said bell-crank lever in its opposite positions.

9. The combination in a gate or barrier to be operated by a moving train, of a series of flexible and movableelements, a shaft to which said elements are connected, a bellcrank lever, a connection between said elements and the bell-crank lever, a sheave or pulley over which said connection passes mounted on the shaft, a sliding weight carried by said bell-crank lever to effect the turning of the shaft to raise and lower the flexible and movable elements, a bell-crank lever for operating said sliding weight, and another bell-crank lever actuated by the train to move the second bell-crank lever.

10. The combination in a gate or barrier to be operated by a moving train, of a series of movable elements, a shaft to which said ele ments are connected, fixed bearings in which said shaft is journaled, a framework carrying said bearings, means set in motion by the moving tram for turning said shaft in one direction, and means for turning the shaft in the opposite direction.

11. The combination in a gate or barrier to ments are connected, fixed bearings carrying said shaft, a framework carrying said bearings, and means carried by said framework and connected directly to said shaft for turning the latter in both directions, the means for turning the shaft in one direction being set in motion by a passing train.

12. The combination ina gate or barrier to be operated by a moving train, of a series of movable elements, a shaft to which said elements are connected, drums carried by said shaft around which the movable elements are wound, fixed bearings carrying said shaft, a framework carrying said bearings, means carried by said framework connected directly to the shaft and set in motion by the moving train for turning the same in one direction, and weights carried by the movable elements for effecting the turning of the shaft and the consequent lowering of the same when the other means tending to turn said shaft are released.

13. The combination in a gate or barrier to be operated by a moving'train, of a series of weighted movable elements, a shaft to which said elements are connected and around which they are wound, fixed bearings carrying said shaft, a framework carrying said bearings, a weight-actuated lever pivoted to the framework and adapted to be operated by the moving train to turn the shaft in one dlrection, and means for releasing said lever whereby the shaft may be turned in the opposite direction by the weight of the movable elements which are thereby lowered.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBURTIS EAGLE.

Witnesses HORACE G. REEDER,

ADA B. REEDER. 

